CHAPTER 567: 93% COMPLETE

"Huh?" Sorlenth’s face darkened.

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Ataneya to be a 15-Tier SS-Class Crimson Ultimate hero too...

But he wasn’t the type to back down easily. Even faced with that, he locked eyes on the fireball Ataneya had hurled at him—

And in the blink of an eye, fwoosh fwoosh fwoosh... a torrent of flames erupted from deep within his body.

They exploded outward, forming a blazing inferno that surged like a living storm.

It was terrifying—absolutely overwhelming.

The shockwave from their clash was so intense, it nearly reached Ethan, who was standing well outside the combat zone.

"Shit!" Ethan’s expression shifted instantly, eyes going wide. Even from that distance, the sheer heat of the flames was enough to scorch his skin.

It felt like the fire could burn straight through flesh and bone.

The power was insane.

But just then—

He suddenly realized something was off.

Because deep inside him, the Primordial Force from the world of Nethora... it was reacting. Not just resisting the fire magic—it was neutralizing it. No, more than that—it was devouring it.

"Wait... seriously?" Ethan’s eyes lit up with surprise and excitement.

Without hesitation, he charged forward.

"My Lord, wait!" Ataneya’s face changed, alarmed. She called out quickly.

But then—she froze.

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the impossible unfold: the same terrifying fire magic that even made her scalp tingle with dread... was being absorbed by Ethan. Completely.

"No way. That’s not possible."

"This can’t be happening!"

In that instant—

Both she and Sorlenth gasped in shock, voices overlapping in stunned disbelief.

But it was real.

It was happening right in front of them.

And in that moment—

Sorlenth’s expression twisted. A deep wariness, even fear, crept across his face.

He actually backed off a few steps.

As if he didn’t dare get too close...

But Sorlenth wasn’t the type to just swallow his pride.

He hesitated for a second—

Then launched another attack straight at Ethan.

"Infernal Requiem!"

In an instant—

A wave of searing fire burst forth.

BOOM!

The explosion tore through the air like a hellish tidal wave, a sea of flames detonating with unstoppable force.

The sky turned blood-red for miles in every direction, lit up like the end of the world.

The heat was unbearable, sweeping over everyone present. Even Ataneya and the still-bound Elira weren’t spared.

CRACK CRACK CRACK—

In a flash—

That monstrous power swallowed Ethan whole.

Elira had almost broken free from her restraints when the explosion erupted—and the sight before her filled her with pure rage.

"My Lord!" she shouted, fury twisting her face as she tore through the bindings like they were paper.

She launched herself forward without hesitation.

But right then—

Something unbelievable happened.

VMMM!

From the very heart of the explosion, a radiant orb of swirling, multicolored light suddenly burst forth. And then—like a dazzling black hole—it began sucking in all the raging fire around it, devouring the inferno that had just threatened to consume everything.

"What the hell...?" Elira froze mid-charge.

Ataneya stood stunned too, eyes wide.

"This... this is impossible!" Sorlenth’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. His voice cracked as panic overtook him.

He completely lost control.

His face twisted in disbelief, unable to accept what he was seeing.

And then—whoom—space itself warped.

In a blink, Ethan appeared right behind Sorlenth, silent as a shadow. His hand clamped down hard on the man’s shoulder.

Before Sorlenth could even react—

Ethan’s other fist came crashing down.

BAM!

"AAARGH—!"

Just one hit.

That was all it took.

Sorlenth screamed in agony, his body convulsing violently. His form began to twist and rupture, like it was being torn apart from the inside.

Even worse—his power started unraveling, leaking out of him like smoke from a dying fire.

It was as if he were being erased.

"Looks like this power really is your kryptonite," Ethan said with a cold smile.

"No! How the hell do you have this much Primordial Force from Nethora in your body?! That’s not possible! No—!"

Sorlenth’s screams turned desperate, his voice cracking with disbelief. But no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

Because Ethan was right.

This power was his natural enemy.

"Ataneya, Elira—finish him!" Ethan called out. "I’ve got the edge, but I don’t have the raw strength. You two take him down!"

He might’ve had the counter to Sorlenth’s magic, but he was still only Tier 14.

Killing someone like Sorlenth outright? That was a tall order.

Better to let the heavy hitters handle it—and make sure the bastard stayed dead.

"Yes, My Lord!"

"On it!"

BOOOOM!

In an instant, Elira and Ataneya surged forward, unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks on Sorlenth. Fire, light, and raw force tore through the air as they overwhelmed him.

It didn’t take long.

Sorlenth didn’t stand a chance.

He was obliterated on the spot—dead before he even hit the ground.

"It’s over..." Ethan exhaled, shaking his head.

The whole thing had been intense—way too close for comfort.

But in the end, they pulled through.

And not just that—they’d taken down a 15-Tier SS-Class powerhouse. That was a massive leap forward for all of them.

Especially for Ethan.

With this, he was probably just a step away from reaching Tier 15 himself...

That was huge.

"Time to rest for now..." he muttered. After a battle like that, he needed to recover before doing anything else.

Then he’d figure out how to absorb the rest of the Primordial Force in the area.

And now, he finally understood—

The more of Nethora’s Primordial Force he controlled, the stronger his odds of survival—and victory.

It might not look like much on the surface, but this stuff was the bane of Nethora’s most powerful beings.

Which made it incredibly valuable.

No way he was letting it go to waste.

So, the group stayed put for a while, resting and focusing on absorbing as much of the surrounding Primordial Force as they could.

Days passed.

And when they finally set out again, returning to the outer regions of Nethora, Ethan felt something stir deep inside him.

A strange, powerful energy was building in his core.

At the same time, the system’s voice chimed in:

[Primordial Force Absorption: 93% Complete]

"So it’s true..."

"If I can gather all of Nethora’s Primordial Force... I can conquer this world."

Ethan’s thoughts locked into place.

He had a goal now. A clear direction.

But there was still one problem—

Where the hell was the remaining 7%?

As he wrestled with that question—

BOOOOM!

A thunderous explosion echoed from the distance, shaking the very air.

BOOM!

BOOM BOOM!

...